“Okay, I’ll stay,” she said. “But just for a little while.”
Chapter 3
Shane strove for nonchalance, but inside he was reeling. It wasn’t just her looks that had knocked him for a loop, although she was probably the most alluring natural beauty he’d ever met. No, it was her presence – the way she’d looked at him, the sound of her voice, her gentle poise. Despite her anxieties, she’d conducted herself with grace, remaining calm on the outside when she was probably anything but calm on the inside. She may be saddled with a lot of anxiety, but she wasn’t a coward.
Her physical response to him had floored him. He’d felt it – the instant attraction between them – clear as day. And on some level, she must have felt it, too. Her cheeks had flushed when he took her hand, and her pupils had dilated. He doubted she was even aware of her response to him, but he sure as hell was.
“Shall we?” he said, endeavoring to dial down his own body’s response. His heart was hammering in his chest, and he needed to redirect his thoughts to something more mundane so his dick would settle down. The last thing he wanted to do was scare her off.
He led her by the hand through the aisles of books toward the café at the front of the store. Her hand felt so small in his, and that stirred up all kinds of protective feelings in him. When she tried to gently extricate her hand from his, he gave hers a reassuring squeeze, but he didn’t release her hand this time. He smiled at her, gauging her reaction. She smiled hesitantly back.
He knew this had to be difficult for her – given her history and her fear of strangers – and he was trying hard not to come on too strong. He should just let her go and walk away, but the impulse to take care of her hit him hard. She reminded him of a wild rabbit, skittish and fearful, ready to flee at the first hint of danger. Damn it, she needed someone to take care of her.
He was naturally a dominant personality. As the eldest of seven children, he’d always been the leader. He’d always looked out for his three younger brothers, defending them from schoolyard bullies, teaching them how to hold their own, when to fight and when to walk away. He’d taught them how to take care of themselves. He’d watched over his three younger sisters, too, keeping a watchful eye on them, threatening their boyfriends with dire consequences if they stepped out of line.
He was a protector at heart, and he liked playing that role. That’s why he started McIntyre Security – to protect people. So he wasn’t surprised to find himself wanting to play that role with Beth.
As they walked through the store, Beth found herself furtively studying Shane. She couldn’t help noticing every little thing about him, like the way he walked with a smooth, confident stride. Like how tall he was – at least half a head taller than she was. She found herself drawn to him, mesmerized. And she wasn’t the only one. Several of the women they passed followed Shane with their eyes. They’d catch a glimpse of him and do a quick double-take, their eyes widening in appreciation and lingering on him. Honestly, she couldn’t blame them. She was finding it difficult not to stare at him.
When a curvy blond in a skin-tight, cobalt blue dress and matching stilettos stepped directly into Shane’s path, he brought them to an abrupt halt, catching Beth when she stumbled.
In her towering heels, the woman was nearly as tall as Shane. She looked him directly in the eye, her ice blue eyes cold and hard as diamonds. When the woman glanced at Beth, she scowled, her kohl-lined eyes narrowing as she assessed Beth from head to toe.
The woman’s full, round breasts looked like they were about to spill out of the low neckline of her dress. Those couldn’t be real, Beth thought. Instantly she felt self-conscious. The woman had a perfect hourglass shape, with eye-popping breasts, a trim waist, and curvy hips. Her professionally sun-streaked blond hair was swept up in a graceful chignon, and her lips were painted a deep red. She was a walking advertisement for elegance and sex.
Beth was painfully aware of how she fared in comparison. She had no curves to speak of, no hips, and hardly any breasts. She typically didn’t wear make-up other than occasionally some lip gloss, her clothes were bohemian thrift shop, and her sandals were flat and well worn.
“Hello, Shane,” the blond said, her voice low and sultry. She ran a glossy red fingernail down the front of his white shirt.
“Deborah.” Shane’s voice was cool as he subtly shifted out of the woman’s reach.
The blond smirked at Beth, not even bothering to hide her disdain. “Who’s your little friend?”
“None of your business.” Shane sidestepped the woman and led Beth right past her.
Beth was taken aback, both by the woman’s acerbic tone and by Shane’s blunt dismissal of her. Obviously, these two had some kind of history, and it didn’t appear to be a good one. She glanced back and was surprised by the woman’s blatantly hostile glare.
Shane squeezed Beth’s hand. “Sorry about that.”
She hurried to match his longer strides. “Who was that?”
“No one. Forget about her.” Shane looked at Beth and stopped, his expression softening. His free hand came up to touch her face, this thumb brushing lightly across her bottom lip. He frowned.
“What?” she said, feeling defensive, as she was sure he was comparing her to the other woman.
“You are so damn beautiful,” he said, shaking his head.
As they reached the café, Beth wondered if she’d lost her mind. She wasn’t the type to just hook up with a stranger in public.
Shane led her to a cozy table for two by the window overlooking the sidewalk out front, where there was still plenty of weekend foot traffic. He grabbed two menus tucked inside the condiment rack and handed one to her.
She perused the menu even though she already knew it by heart, mostly to give herself something to do so she wouldn’t sit there mooning over him. She honestly didn’t feel like eating. Her stomach was in chaos, and she was still a little shaken from the run-in with that woman.
Shane closed his menu and looked at Beth. “What would you like? I’ll go place our order.”
Our order. As in the two of them, together. Was this a date? She honestly wasn’t sure. Had he just picked her up? And she’d let him? Good grief, what was she thinking?
“I’ll have a small Pomegranate Blueberry Smoothie, please,” she said, slipping her menu back into the condiment rack.
“Just a smoothie? That’s all? You sure you don’t want something to eat?”
“That’s all, thank you. I’m not hungry.”
“I’ll be right back,” he said, standing.
She watched him walk to the counter to place their order. He was speaking to the cashier when Beth’s phone buzzed with an incoming text. She pulled her phone out of her purse, already knowing who the message was from.
Hey sis. What’s up?
It was Tyler’s nightly text, just touching base to make sure she was all right. Her brother was very protective, very paternal and yes, very bossy, but she honestly didn’t mind. Sometimes she found it a little smothering, but she would never complain. She owed him so much.
She texted him back.
Having a smoothie at Clancy’s. You?
Tyler worried about her, partly because of his personality, but mostly because of her past. He’d been just barely out of the Chicago Police Academy when she was abducted, and he’d never gotten over it. To be honest, she hadn’t either. She didn’t think she ever would.
Beth’s phone buzzed again.
Watching the game w/guys @ Rowdies. How about lunch tomorrow? Pick u up @ 1130?
She sent a quick reply: Sounds great. See you then.
Beth was tucking her phone back into her purse when Shane placed a smoothie on the table in front of her and his sandwich, chips, and coffee at his spot.
“That was my brother,” she said. “If I don’t reply, he’ll send out a search party.”
Shane laughed. “Not a problem.”
Actually, she wasn’t kidding. Tyler would send out a search party if he
couldn’t reach her; he’d done it once before when she’d let her phone battery die. When she didn’t reply to his message, he’d tracked her down himself.
Beth took a sip of the deep purple smoothie, savoring its sweet and tart flavor. The cold cup felt good in her hand.
Shane watched her take another sip. “Is it good?”
She nodded. “It’s delicious. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He picked up his coffee and took a sip. “Are you and your brother close?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
“Do you have any other siblings?”
“No, just my brother.”
“I’m the oldest of seven.”
Her eyes widened in genuine surprise. “I can’t even imagine what that’s like.”
“Just imagine a lot of noise and chaos, and you’ll have it,” he said, smiling.
She smiled back. “When I was little, I used to beg my mom for a little brother or sister, but it never happened. My dad died when I was a baby, and my mom never remarried. I don’t think she ever got over losing him.”
They sat in comfortable silence while Shane polished off his sandwich and chips in record time.
He hadn’t been kidding, Beth thought. The man must have been starving. When he was finished eating, he leaned back in his chair, observing Beth as he leisurely sipped his coffee. She kept her eyes on her own cup, fiddling with her straw and taking slow sips of her smoothie.
“Would you like anything else, Beth?”
“No. This is perfect,” she said. She could feel his gaze on her, and it made her nervous. His attentiveness was both flattering and nerve racking.
“So, do you come here often?” he said, and then he winced. “That sounded really lame, didn’t it? But it was an honest question.”
She smiled. “I come here almost every Friday evening. It’s my way of unwinding at the end of the work week, which is rather ironic considering I work in a library.”
He took another sip of his coffee. “Sounds as if you definitely like books.”
“I do. What about you? Do you read?”
“I read a lot, mostly nonfiction,” he said. “One of my brothers writes military thrillers, and I read his books. He’s actually quite good. His last three hardcovers hit the number one spot on The New York Times’ bestseller list.”
“That’s impressive,” she said. “What’s his name?”
“Jamie McIntyre.”
“I’ll have to watch for his books.”
“I’d be happy to loan you my copies.” He laughed again. “That sounded like a pick-up line, I know, but I meant it.”
Shane set down his coffee cup, his expression turning serious. His mind had been racing since she’d agreed to come to the café with him. But now what? Now that he’d met her, he couldn’t just walk away and never see her again. That was unacceptable. So where did that leave him? “I’d like to see you again, Beth. Will you have dinner with me one night this week?”
Her heart stopped in her chest, and she stared at him. He really was trying to pick her up; it wasn’t just wishful thinking on her part.
“Beth?”
There was something in the tone of his voice that resonated with her. It was part patience and part command.
“Beth, you can talk to me.”
Talk to him? He made it sound so easy. She shook her head.
“What’s wrong?” he said.
“It’s just that – ” She couldn’t even finish her sentence. How could she possibly explain to him how difficult it was for her to open up to someone? She’d made it her life’s goal to avoid conflict and stress, and that meant avoiding people, especially men. This man, with his beautiful eyes and strong hands, made her feel vulnerable in a way she’d never felt before. He made her want things she’d resigned herself to living without.
“It’s just what, sweetheart?” he said.
Hearing him call her that – sweetheart – pushed her over the edge. She was going to burst out of her own skin any second. Her heart began to race and her chest tightened.
Beth grabbed her purse. “Thanks for the smoothie. I’m sorry, but I have to go.”
She was halfway to the exit when she heard him call her name, but she kept running. When she reached the glass doors, she pushed through them and stepped out onto the sidewalk, the warm, humid summer air making it hard to breathe. The street was crowded with cars and pedestrians, but she caught sight of an available taxi just a few yards away. She made a beeline for the cab, but before she could open the door and escape, Shane was at her side.
“Beth, wait.” He grabbed her shoulders and turned her to face him.
The concern in his expression made her knees go weak, and she felt lightheaded.
“I’m sorry if I came on too strong,” he said. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Sweetheart. When he called her that back in the café, it made her realize just how much she wanted that in her life. How much she wanted to be someone’s sweetheart.
Shane released her to retrieve a business card from his wallet and hand it to her. He leaned forward and put his lips to the side of her head, his warm breath caressing the shell of her ear as he whispered to her. “You’re overwhelmed, Beth. I get that. It’s all right.”
The sound of his voice, low and sensual, made her shiver.
He straightened and pointed at the card in her hand. “That’s my card. My name, work number, and private number.”
Beth looked down at the card, too stunned to take in any of the details.
“Call me, Beth. Day or night, it doesn’t matter. Just call me, please. I want to see you again.”
Beth closed her trembling fingers around the card and drew it to her chest.
Shane reached out and brushed the edge of her cheek with his thumb. He leaned toward her, and her heart nearly stopped when she thought he was going to kiss her. But at the last moment he pulled back and smiled ruefully. She stood frozen in place, her heart thundering painfully in her chest.
“Call me, Beth,” he said as he opened the cab door.
Beth slid into the backseat of the cab. And as she sat there shaking, Shane leaned into the cab and secured her into the seatbelt.
The cab driver, a rotund man with a thick head of white hair, glanced back impatiently. “Come on, folks. I don’t have all night.”
Shane glared at the driver, then pulled out his wallet again to withdraw several bills, which he shoved into the driver’s outstretched hand. “Make sure she gets home safely.”
“Shit, man!” the driver said, eyeing the bills. He shoved them into his shirt pocket. “Thanks!”
Shane looked down at Beth one last time, his expression tight. “I’ll be waiting for your call.” Then he shut her door.
“Close the windows and lock the doors,” he said to the cab driver through the open front passenger window.
“You got it, buddy!” the driver said, immediately engaging the locks and putting up the windows.
As the cabbie put the car in drive, Beth looked down at the card in her hand. It was printed on white linen paper and embossed with charcoal gray text.
Shane McIntyre
Founder and CEO, McIntyre Security, Inc.
Beth recognized the prestigious address of his office building. It wasn’t far from the high-rise building that housed the restaurant where Gabrielle worked.
She slipped Shane’s card into her purse, then leaned back in the seat and allowed herself to relive the feel of his lips against her ear as he’d whispered to her. She lost herself in the memory of his voice, so close and intimate, and the feel of his warm breath against her ear.
As the cab pulled smoothly into the flow of traffic, she turned to glance out the rear window for one last look. Shane stood on the sidewalk exactly where she’d left him, his gaze locked onto her cab as it drove away.
He was still watching when the cab turned a corner.
* * *
As soon as Beth’s cab disappeared from sight, S
hane headed for the parking garage where he’d left his car. He couldn’t help wondering what the fuck had just happened back there. He must have lost his mind, because he’d broken nearly every rule in the company handbook. He’d violated protocol and compromised the entire operation. If he weren’t the owner of the company, he’d fire himself on the spot.
But it wasn’t his unprofessionalism that surprised him the most. It was the fact that he’d been poleaxed by a submissive little blond. And she was submissive – there was no doubt in his mind about that. Submissives really weren’t his type. He tended to date Federal court judges and surgeons, bankers and attorneys. He dated women who knew what they wanted and weren’t afraid to take it. And Beth – she was none of those things. She wasn’t his type, and she was ten years younger than he was. So why the hell was he reeling like he’d just been blindsided?
He’d never met a more sensuous, more enticing woman in his life, and he wanted her – desperately. Knowing her background, he’d tried not to come on too strong. He’d tried to rein himself in. But he wasn’t used to treating women with kid gloves. Still, he hadn’t imagined that instant connection between them, the heat, the attraction. Her body had given off all kinds of signals that she was interested, but still she’d run.
Damn. She was going to be a hell of a lot of work.
And, shit! Tyler was going to kill him. There was no doubt about that, because now that he’d met Beth, everything had changed. This case had become personal for him. No matter what it took, he was going to become her lover. And then, her safety would be his responsibility.
Chapter 4
Shane was still officially on bodyguard duty for the next six hours, which meant he’d be parked outside Beth’s townhouse until someone relieved him at the end of his shift. On the way to her house, he stopped at a fast food drive-thru to grab two large black coffees and a couple of sandwiches to hold him over. As he pulled away from the drive-thru, a call came in. He synced his phone to the car speakers. He’d been expecting this, and he figured he might as well get it over with.
Vulnerable: (McIntyre Security Bodyguard Series - Book 1) Page 3